Betrayal
by Thephoenix1996
Summary: Sometimes blood isn't thicker than water and family will cross you quicker than strangers. Tony will learn that the hard way.
1. Promises

**_Title: Betrayal._**

**_Timeline: Season 9._**

**_Pairings/ Relationships: Tony/OC. McAbby. Gibbs/Tony, Father/Son. Team friendship._**

* * *

Prologue

* * *

"Dad, please don't do this to me. Not now. Not like this, please."

"I'm so proud of the man you've become, Junior. You know that, right?"

"Dad, what are you talking about? Put the gun down, now. Before you hurt someone."

"So proud… you were always a good son. You've never turned your back on me, never denied me anything I ask for. You were always…there."

"That's what family members do, Dad, they help each other out. You say I've always been there when you needed me, right? Now I need you to return the favor. Put the gun down, please. Let's just talk about it."

"… I'm sorry, Junior."

And with that, Anthony DiNozzo, Senior pulled the trigger.

* * *

Chapter 1:"Promises."

* * *

Paul Renner is a good man. He is a decorated marine, a loving husband and a proud father of two; a boy and a girl. His life had been perfect, up until the death of his son.

After their loss, his family had drifted apart; his daughter stopped visiting and his wife filed for divorce. Paul ended up alone and his grief, sadness and hurt soon turned into rage.

Paul had decided to avenge his son's death, even if it meant his own. He knew the names of the men; had learned them by heart and had collected enough incriminating evidence to send the men to jail for life.

Although Paul was aware of the fact he was being foolish for taking matters into his own hands, he knew he had to have some sort of insurance.

He just had to figure out what _Kind_ of insurance.

After a few hours of contemplating the issue and what he could do about it, the man found his answer; Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo.

The man and his team had been resilient in their investigation, had exhausted all leads and hadn't left any stone unturned. But, unfortunately, His Son's case had turned into a clod one.

Paul had been furious and had caused a scene, causing agents from another team to call security. Agent DiNozzo had dismissed the security guards and had escorted him down, instead.

Paul remembered what the agent said to him clearly.

"_YOU'RE GONNA LET MY SON'S CASE GO COLD," Paul shouted, as soon as they were in the parking lot._

"_Technically, but I will not rest until I find who did this to your son, Sargent. You have my word."_

With his mind made up, Paul managed to get his hands on the man's e-mail, and sent all the necessary information.

When Paul was sure he had all his bases covered, he arranged a meeting with the man responsible for his misery and after receiving a phone call, with instructions about the whereabouts and time of the meeting, Paul found himself in the woods, waiting for a man named Carlisle Wolf to Show up.

"Mr. Renner?"

Paul turned around and was angry to find that he didn't recognize the man as the man responsible for his son's death.

Paul swiftly pulled out the gun and aimed it at the man's head.

The man's eyes widened and he stumbled a bit.

"I have your money, just give me the evidence and walk away."

"I DON'T WANT YOUR DAMN MONEY," shouted Paul as he advanced on the man, who again, backed away. "Where is Wolf? He was supposed to meet me here."

"Just calm down, okay? I'm sure we can settle this, it's okay," the man said nervously.

"NO! IT'S NOT OKAY. I WANT WOLF HERE, OR YOU DIE."

For a moment, the only sound that was heard was the men's heavy breathing. The sound of a breaking twig caused Paulto turn around. And, apparently, the momentary distraction was all the other man needed, because in a matter of seconds, Paul found himself facing a gun.

"Just give me the evidence and walk away," the man said calmly.

"You better call that boss of yours and-"

Sadly, Paul was not able to say anything else.

The man shot him.

As he lay on the dirt, bleeding out, his last thoughts were:

'_I hope you're gonna keep your promise, Agent DiNozzo, you're my only hope.'_

* * *

"Guys, Come on settle down," said a smiling Sara.

The kids groaned but obeyed nonetheless.

"What are we watching, Tony?" asked the sixteen year old Ethan.

"Your pick, Kid," said Tony distractedly.

Everyone, including Sara groaned.

"Sweet!"

Ethan jumped from his place on the couch to check the movies, while Sarah and her daughters chatted about their day.

Tony took the opportunity to dwell on the past two days. They were boring, work wise. All they had been doing for the past week was the boring and mind-numbing paperwork. And for that he was immensely grateful; he was distracted all the time and everyone noticed, but thankfully no one mentioned it. The reason for his distraction was his father. The man had been calling him, texting him and leaving him messages, and all Tony did was ignore them. He knew it wasn't wise of him to do it, but he dreaded what the man would say to him.

Their last encounter had been at thanksgiving. His father had suggested they went out for food rather than stay in, when Gibbs had declared that he was spending thanksgiving with his own father. Tony had waited for Senior for over two hours, but the man never showed up. After that night, he had vowed to never, ever allow himself to believe the man.

"You okay, Tony?" Sara softly questioned, the concern shining in her beautiful, green eyes.

Tony smiled softly.

Sara is his neighbor and friend, she had moved to his apartment building seven month ago. They had formed a strong friendship. She had warmed up to him when he had helped her son, Ethan, cope with the move and other problems. Somewhere along the line, Tony had found himself with a three year old, beautiful girl who always managed to convince him to take her to the park on his off-days, a fourteen year old girl who was the definition of a walking contradiction (the girl loves watching sports and playing them, but had managed not to lose her feminine side in the process), and a teenage boy, who not only came to him for advice but also trusted him enough to tell him his secrets and worries. Although he would never admit it, he loved them all as if they were his own.

And then there was Sara who is a strong, beautiful woman that he liked a lot (he refuses to acknowledge the voice in his head that whispers _'it's more than that and you know it'_). What he felt with her was something that he hadn't felt in a long time, not with Wendy, not with Kate, and not with Jeanne.

He had only asked her out one time, three weeks after her move, and she had refused. He had been surprised, but after explaining herself; claiming that she needed time to settle down , he had been okay with it.

For the past month or so, Sara had been trying to get him to ask her out again. She was very subtle about it, but Tony picked up on it, and for some unknown reason, ignored it completely.

"Hey, Tony, you okay?"

He looked at her apologetically, and nodded, "Yeah I am. Sorry I spaced out on you."

"It's okay," she assured him, then kept watching him, and after a minute she shook her head, "maybe we should leave, you look tired."

He shook his head, "it really is okay, just stay."

She nodded, "alright."

"I got it!" Ethan said happily.

"What did you pick?" fourteen year old Natasha asked, with a sigh.

"Rendition."

Tony and Sara shared a look.

"NO!" they said at the same time.

"Why not?" Ethan whined.

"It's not…um… suitable for your age," Tony said.

"Pick something else, hon," said Sara.

"Hey, Nat, you can pick," said Ethan grumbly.

She squealed.

Tony leaned closer to Sara, "I think we should've gone with Rendition,"

Sara rolled her eyes, "come on, Tony, how bad can it be?"

…..

"Let's take a break, I need to use the bathroom," Natasha said urgently.

Tony pressed pause and Natasha all but ran out of the room.

Tony turned to look at Sara, who avoided eye contact.

"You still think it's not too bad?"

She laughed nervously.

"Oh come on, Tony, how bad can it be?" he repeated in high-pitched tone, which earned him a glare from her, and continued in a normal voice, "apparently very bad."

She rolled her eyes again.

"Don't tell me you're enjoying this!"

She said nothing.

"Why do you even have it?" asked Ethan, with amusement.

Tony glared at him. "This is your fault, you know."

Ethan shrugged, "you wouldn't let me watch the movie I wanted, so this is payback."

Tony reached forward and head slapped him.

"Ow," Ethan said rubbing his head.

"You seriously like this, don't you?" Tony asked Sara, completely ignoring Ethan's complaints.

"What? No I don't," she said quickly.

Tony laughed, "Oh god, you like High School Musical!"

She glared at him, while a blush crept its way to her cheeks, which only made him laugh harder.

Natasha came back from the bathroom and played the movie.

"Stop laughing," she snapped.

And surprisingly, Tony did.

…..

"Thanks for this, Tony," Sara said with a soft smile.

"No problem, Sar,"

They watched in amusement as Ethan and Natasha, bickered and argued.

"How do they have the energy to fight?" Tony asked.

Sara snorted. "Oh please, they could be on their deathbeds and still do it."

They shared a quiet laugh, before silence fell on them.

Sara cleared her throat, "thanks again for this,"

He just nodded with a smile and turned to leave, but stopped and turned around when her hand touched his.

Sara slowly closed the gap between them and stood on her tippy toes to kiss him. As soon as her lips touched his, Tony flinched away, all the thoughts from earlier coming back to him. He knew that he was screwing his chance with her, but he couldn't help it. Just he because he knew_why _he was afraid didn't mean he _stopped_ being afraid.

Sara quickly retreated, and shook her head.

"I shouldn't have done that, "she said.

"Sara-"

"I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me," she said in a thick voice.

"Sara-"

"Goodnight," she turned around and went into her apartment.

...

Tony closed his door and walked into his living room. He sat heavily on the couch and put his head in his hands.

He was an idiot. He should have kissed her, held her, told her about everything. He knew she'd understand; she always did.

He groaned; hating the state he was in.

"_DiNozzo's Rule number 2: never let the fear hold you back."_

He remembered telling those exact words to Abby once.

He was out of the door and knocking at Sara's door in three seconds.

"Tony?" she asked when she opened the door.

He didn't say anything, just kissed her. It was gentle and slow and everything she had imagined. Sara honestly couldn't remember the last time she had felt this way.

They broke away for air, and his hand went to her cheek, slowly stroking it.

"God you're beautiful," he said quietly.

She blushed and looked at the ground.

He laughed softly, then lifted her chin and kissed her again. It was more heated and passionate this time, her hands were on his chest and his were cubing her cheek.

They broke away and smiled wanly at each other, feeling happier than ever.

"Goodnight, Sara," he told her softly.

* * *

"I killed him!" said the panicked man.

"What? Killed who?" asked Wolf.

"Paul Renner! He pulled a gun on me and I shot him! I need your help."

Wolf shook his head. "No! you are on your own."

"Wolf, please-"

"We are done. You are on your own."

The man's shoulders slumped in defeat as he walked away. The man stopped and turned around When Wolf called his name.

"Oh and by the way, if I hear you told anyone about our deals, I'll make sure you regret it, Mr. DiNozzo."

* * *

**_Hey guys_**

**_I hope you like the new and hopefully improved version of sins of the father._**

**_Please let me know what you think, I'm desperate to hear your thoughts._**


	2. Discoveries

Chapter 2:"Discoveries."

* * *

"Get your damn head on straight, Gibbs!" Tony said quietly.

Tony and Gibbs were sitting in the car, Gibbs stoic and Tony silently fuming. Their case had been the murder of Mary and Alyssa Carlson; the wife and daughter of Petty officer Jack Carlson. From the moment the investigation started Gibbs had been on edge, barking orders and shouting more than talking. It had got so bad that, now, Ziva was ignoring Gibbs(and sometimes Gibb's orders) which caused Gibbs to threaten to bench her, which had ultimately ended with Tony standing in between them(which was not one of his brightest ideas) and all he got for his efforts was a bruise in the size of a fist. Tim spent more time hiding in the lab, rathar than being in the bullpen. Abby's Cafpow supply had been cut off, which caused her to be unusually cranky.

Tony, of course, had taken the brunt of it all, so the two junior agents didn't have to, not that anyone on the team had noticed; they rarely ever do. He had been the one to get a_very_ public dressing down (by Gibbs) the reasons for which are still unknown. He had been the one forced to endure listening to Ziva rant about how Gibbs was driving her crazy and how unfair he was being (she had used some _very_ colorful adjectives that would've made McGee blush). He had been the one that had to drag Tim to the bullpen (and one time he_did_drag him), and he had been the one trying to get Abby to cheer up by getting her Cafpow, which had gotten him a lecture about how it wasn't about the Cafpow itself, but the fact that _Gibbs_ was the one to get it to her, and how right now, he isn't doing it. The lecture itself had taken more than thirty minutes, and when he had finally managed to get to the bullpen, he got a head slap that _literally _made the world around him spin.

So, all in all, the last two days have been insufferable, which is what brought Tony to this point.

"What the hell are you talking about, DiNozzo?" Gibbs' tone was quiet and icy, which was actually quite intimidating, and held a warning in it.

Tony was not fazed.

"I mean that this has got to stop, right now. McGee is practically living in the lab. Ziva is angry, and sometimes defiant. Abby is sulking in her lab, having Cafpow withdrawal. And_you_are blinded by the goddamn misplaced anger."

Gibbs was silent. He knew he was being unfair with his team and with his SFA, but it wasn't something he had control over, it was something that just, happens. This case hit home. The petty officer was so much like him after his family's death, it was downright creepy.

Tony, apparently, had read his mind, because his features softened and he sighed.

"I know it's who you are, and that you can't change, not that I'm asking you to!" he amended quickly, upon seeing Gibbs' arched eyebrow. "What I'm saying is, you need to control it, before it truly gets out of hand. We're a team, Gibbs, a team. You're supposed to talk to us, tell us what's going on in your head. I mean, how the hell am I supposed to watch your back if I'm too busy playing catch up?" he ended with a question that had always troubled him.

"If it's too inconvenient for you, feel free to leave, no one's stopping ya," Gibbs snapped angrily.

Tony tried not to let the hurt and anger show on his face, but failed miserably.

"This is so much more than that and you know it. If I'm working with you, if I'm watching your back, I need to stay in the loop," he continued to try to get his point across.

"I don't need you to watch my back, never did," snapped Gibbs. To his credit, he immediately felt guilty for saying it.

Tony was stunned into silence. He could not believe Gibbs had said _that._ After all the times he had saved the man, after all that they have been through.

He shook his head and laughed humorlessly, "of course you don't! You're the almighty Gibbs, right? Well tell me, if it weren't for me, would you have lived after the whole agent Carter incident? If it weren't for me, diving in the goddamn river to haul your ass out of the water, would you have lived? Would Maddie have lived?" he asked loudly and angrily.

Gibbs was silent, stunned and ashamed, although his mask stayed firmly in place.

Tony shook his head and quickly moved into the building, leaving Gibbs to his thoughts.

Gibbs had to admit, he had truly messed up this time. He had let his anger blind him, again, had undermined his agent, again, all because of his pride and stubbornness. What Tony had said earlier was true; he owed the younger man his life. They have never kept count, never questioned the other's need to protect those around him.

He shook his head to stop the thoughts swirling around it from consuming him. He had a job to do. He could resolve things with Tony later.

"What have we got?" Gibbs asked and was surprised when he was met by silence. Looking around, he realized there was no one there.

_The lab_, he thought, _maybe I'll find them there_.

"_Come on, guys, that's not fair!"_ he heard Tony say.

"_But it is true, he has been unbearable! He will not tell us what is going on; he went alone and almost got himself killed!"_ Ziva.

"_She's right."_ Abby and Tim.

"_Stop! We will not talk about him behind his back, and that's final. He is who he is. Now, tell us what you have, Abs."_

Gibbs wasn't surprised by his team's level of frustration. He also wasn't surprised by Tony's reaction to what they said; Tony was and always will be the most loyal person he has ever come across. But it did, for some reason, make him feel warm on the inside.

He took a deep breath and went in the Lab. He kissed both Abby and Ziva on the cheek, gave McGee a pat on the back, and nodded at Tony, who merely nodded back.

Gibbs was grateful for Tony's ability to read him so well, because in that moment, Tony understood what he could never put in words; an apology.

"What have we got?"

"Nothing, I'm sorry but we have nothing."

"Damn it! There has to be something," argued Gibbs.

"Well there isn't," snapped Abby.

"Wait…"Tony said, trying to get their attention.

"No one's that good; whoever it is must have left something."

"Guys…"

"Come on Gibbs, you can't be saying that-"

"SHUT UP!" Tony shouted. "Just shut the hell up and stop acting like five year olds."

Everyone stared at him. Usually; Tony would use humor to defuse the tension.

When he was sure he had their full attention, Tony smirked.

"I think I know who the killer is."

* * *

The ride back to the HQ was done, for the first time, in silence. Tony had figured out that the killer was the victim's sister; Julia, when he remembered seeing her wearing the same necklace of Mary Carlson; her sister. The woman had been so blinded by her love for the marine, that she killed her sister and niece; her flesh and blood.

When they had reached the Carlson residence, they found that they were too late. Julia had confessed her love and the fact that she killed Mary and Alyssa to Jack, who had lost control over himself and killed her. Jack hadn't even resisted arrest.

Tony was worried about Gibbs. Tony knew the man would be comparing himself to Jack Carlson. He was going to set him straight.

Julia's murder at the hands of Jack hit close to home, and having to arrest the man for murder made things worse. For the first time in a long time Gibbs was questioning his actions. He didn't regret killing Pedro Hernandez, _that_, he was sure of, but he couldn't help but wonder if he should've done something else. He also couldn't help but think he was being a hypocrite; arresting a man for murder when he had done the same.

* * *

When the elevator dinged and the doors opened, Ziva and Tim sped out of the elevator, not noticing that Tony had held Gibbs back.

"What?" snapped Gibbs.

"You're not him Gibbs," Tony said firmly.

Gibbs glared at his agent.

"The hell I'm not," he spat angrily, still glaring at the man in front of him.

"You are not him," Tony repeated slowly and firmly, ignoring the glare.

"He killed a woman who could've been brought to justice, who was going to get the punishment she deserved," he took a deep breathe and continued. "You, on the other hand, killed the man who was going to get away with murder, your family's murder," he looked at Gibbs and saw that the man still wasn't convinced, so Tony tried another approach. "Pedro Hernandez was a drug dealer; responsible for the addiction of many people, he was also a murderer, a cold-blooded son of a bitch, who- if you ask me- the world is better without," Tony waited for his words to sink in then continued, ""If I had been in your shoes, I would've done the same," he finished.

Gibbs nodded.

Tony continued as if he hadn't noticed, "not exactly the same, I mean, I'm no sniper, by any means. I probably would've-"

Gibbs' head-slap brought a satisfied smile on Tony's face.

* * *

Later that day, Abby had called Tony to her lab, saying she had something important to tell him, and that it couldn't wait. That is why Tony was, ten minutes later, staring at her with wide eyes and an open mouth.

"Tony, please say something," Abby pleaded.

"You're…you're pregnant," was all he could come up with, and despite her nervousness, Abby rolled her eyes.

"It's Tim's isn't it?" he asked her after a moment of shock.

Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth but nothing came out.

"How…how did you know?" she asked once she found her voice.

Now, it was his turn to roll his eyes. "It's pretty obvious, Abs," he told her.

"Oh," was all she could manage, and then suddenly she gasped and put her hand to her mouth as a thought accord to her. "Do you think Gibbs knows?" she asked as she began to pace the lab. "Oh my god, I am so dead, what am I gonna tell him? _How_ am I gonna tell him?"

Tony noticed she was on the verge of a breakdown and decided to step in.

"Abs," he said blocking her path, and putting his hands on her small shaking shoulders, "It'll be okay, you got it?" he asked and when she didn't answer, he put two fingers under her chin and lifted. "It'll be okay," he repeated, smiling at her.

"Okay," she nodded with a smile. "Thanks Tony," she said hugging him.

Abby loved hugging people, it was her way of expressing her feelings for them, but she especially loved hugging Tony. Somehow being in his strong yet gentle arms and feeling his warmth always gave her a sense of security, protection and reassurance, which was exactly what she needed right now.

He had been the first person she thought of calling, because she _knew_ Gibbs would be angry, Tim would stutter and be just as lost as she is, and Ziva wouldn't know what to do. She knew Tony would help, he would know exactly what to do.

"Pack up your things, and get ready," he said pulling away, "I'm taking you with me."

"Tony, it's okay, I'll be fine," she tried to assure him.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "So you won't keep worrying about everyone's reaction to the news?" he asked already knowing the answer and not waiting for one.

"I'll wait for you in the car, take your time."

* * *

Abby and Tony had settled on the couch for a movie, when they heard a knock on the door.

Tony got up and opened it.

"Hey, Sara."

He stepped out of the apartment and closed the door behind him. And before she could say anything, he dipped his head and kissed her softly.

"Hey," she murmured against his lips.

He pulled away and noticed she was carrying Sophie. Huh, he hadn't noticed her.

"We missed you those past few days," she said, smiling shyly.

"I missed you guys, too. The case was pretty tough but we managed to close it in record time."

"Good. Look, I really need a favor."

"Sure, what's up?"

"Something came up at work and I need someone to watch Sophie, because Ethan and Nat aren't here."

"Sure, I'll take her."

Sara sighed in relief, "thank god! If you had said no, I would've had to keep her with Mrs. Sanders, who, by the way, scares the hell out of me."

Tony chuckled, "Give her to me."

"You sure?"

He nodded and held out his hands.

Sara put the sleeping three year old in Tony's arms and smiled when her daughter snuggled up to Tony.

"Bye." She said waving.

"Bye."

* * *

After watching the movie, and eating dinner, Tony and Abby were both in the kitchen, washing the dishes.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Abby asked with a huge smile.

"What?" he asked.

Of course, Tony knew exactly what she was talking about. He had seen how she had tried to ,subtly, return to the couch, without him noticing that she was eavesdropping.

It hadn't worked. He was surprised she had waited this long to ask.

"You and Sara! When did that happen?"

He smiled at her enthusiasm. Abby and Sara had hit it off the first time they met and are now very close friends.

"Two nights ago." He replied honestly.

Abby's eyes widened, "You two…?"

"No! Abby get your head out of the gutter. We just kissed." He told her with a nudge.

She smiled softly, "you really love her, don't you?"

He almost dropped the dish he was cleaning, "What? No, I don't love her. I just like her. A lot."

"Ah-huh," she hummed doubtfully.

A sudden cry stopped him from making any other comment.

They both ran to the room, and while Tony went further in, Abby chose to stay at the door.

A crying Sophie was sitting up in bed; her eyes red and puffy.

"Hey Soph, what's wrong?" he asked softly as he moved closer to the crying child.

Sophie looked up at him, still crying.

"I had a nightmare," she said in a small voice.

He sat on the edge of the bed, next to her, and rubbed her back gently.

"You wanna talk about it? It helps," he suggested.

She nodded, with a sniff.

"A monster came out from the closet and tried to hurt me and mommy! When we tried to run, he came after us," she said quietly.

"And then what?"

She looked at him strangely, "I woke up."

He chuckled.

"Okay then. Go back to sleep, Soph. I'm right down the hall," he assured her.

"But what if it comes out again?" she asked fearfully.

"Come on," he urged her, extending his hand, which she took.

They walked slowly to the closet.

"See, there's nothing here," he said after opening the closet, and letting her have her own look.

"Okay." She said softly.

"Go back to sleep."

"Please don't leave me! I'm scared," she started crying again.

Tony sighed and picked her up.

"Its okay, angel, its okay," he assured the trembling girl in his arms.

When she didn't immediately stop crying he started to pace the room, while comforting the little girl. Ten minutes later, she was fast asleep. He put her in bed and quietly left the room.

Abby smiled gently at him, "I thought you said you weren't good with kids."

He shrugged, "I have my moments."

"My kid is gonna be so lucky to have you as it's uncle," she told him softly, with a smile.

He smiled at her warmly.

* * *

*The next day*

Gibbs decided to invite the team for dinner, to celebrate their win, or so he said. They all knew the real reason was to clear the air between them.

Tony and Abby were outside, sitting on the front porch steps of Gibbs' house, speaking quietly.

"So, how'd it go with Tim?" Tony asked Abby. "You did tell him, right?"

Tony had told Abby that she should tell Tim about the Baby. And she had, after some bullying from Tony, agreed to do it.

Before she could answer, they both saw Tim leave the car and advance toward them. He smiled at Tony and kissed Abby.

Tony smiled, "I take it went well."

The smiles on their faces were all the answer he needed.

"Where's Sara?" Abby asked. "I thought she was coming."

"Yeah, Tony, Where **is **Sara?" Tim asked with a teasing smile.

"You told him?" Tony asked incredulously.

"She's coming. Oh, and i didn't tell anyone about me and Sara, so, if you guys even think about mentioning us being together in front of the others, I'll slap you both silly," Tony warned, seriously.

When they started walking toward the house, not acknowledging his warning, Tony shouted after them, "Guys! I'm serious…"

Abby and Tim laughed quietly.

…..

"Alright, lay it on me," said Tony as he leant against the counter.

After Abby's announcement Tony had sensed Gibbs' anger building up. Afraid of an impressive explosion Tony had moved quietly to Gibbs's side, tapped the man's arm, and then pointed to the kitchen. As everyone started to congratulate the couple, Tony and Gibbs made their way into the kitchen.

Gibbs didn't need to be told twice. "The rules are there for a reason," he hissed.

"Come on Gibbs, Abby doesn't work in the field, so technically the rule doesn't apply. And you know better than anyone that the heart wants what it wants," he said seriously, and then noted that Gibbs's anger hadn't lessened.

"You and I both know that you love Abby like a daughter, don't you want her to be happy?" he asked.

Gibbs stayed stubbornly silent.

Sighing in frustration, Tony tried again, "They're in love, they're gonna have a baby, and they are absolutely happy, these are the facts Gibbs, nothing will change them. You have two choices; you either help them and be happy for them, or you stay angry at them and miss out on it all," he said firmly, noting -with relief- that the older man seemed to be considering what he had said.

"If there is anyone ON EARTH I TRUST with Abby, it's Tim, and deep down you do too," and with that he left the kitchen.

* * *

"What do you think they're talking about in there?" Abby asked while pacing.

Tim sighed and answered for the 10th Time, "I don't know Abs, we'll find out."

When Tony emerged from the kitchen and all eyes turned towards him. "I'm not sure" he said, answering their silent question.

Abby bit her lip then started towards the kitchen, but Tony stopped her. "I have to talk to him," she said, trying to remove her arm from Tony's grip.

"No you don't, you need to leave him…" he trailed off when he saw Gibbs coming out of the kitchen, his face expressionless.

Gibbs stopped in front of Tim, who had moved to stand beside Abby. "What you did was stupid," he started. "And you should've been more careful," he said sternly, and saw them both nod. Sighing he continued. "But what's done is done, and if you two are happy, then nothing else matters," as soon as he finished, he was enveloped in one of Abby's hugs that left him gasping for breath

"Abs," he rasped. "I can't breathe."

She released him immediately. "Sorry," she said. "I'm just so happy you're not mad at me," then her eyes widened. "You aren't right?"

Ignoring her question he stood nose to nose with Tim. "You hurt her, Special Agent McGee, and I will kill you," he said seriously.

"Wouldn't dream of it," said Tim, just as serious.

Satisfied, Gibbs smiled, and nodded.

Tony was smiling happily, until his phone rang. He quietly excused himself and went outside. He considered ignoring it again, but thought better of it.

"Listen to me good, I won't repeat myself. Leave me alone, Dad, don't call me and don't text me. Leave me the hell alone." He snapped the phone shut.

"Everything okay?" Sara asked softly.

He smiled at her, "you ready to go?"

She nodded, not convinced.

"I'll just say goodbye and then we'll go, okay?" he said kissing her.

She smiled, "yeah."

* * *

"Good morning, everyone!" Said the cheerful Tony.

"Morning." Ziva and Tim both replied.

Gibbs strode in with the ever-present cup of coffee in his hand.

"Gear up! We've got a dead marine."

"Really?" Tony feigned a surprised expression.

"Yeah," Gibbs said seriously. "And a decomp, at that."

"Oh joy," muttered Tony sarcastically.

Tim paled and Ziva groaned.

…..

"What's the story?"

"A jogger found him, an Amy Johnson. Ducky hasn't arrived yet." McGee reported what little information they had. "His name is Paul Renner, A-"

"Did you say Paul Renner?" asked Tony.

"The name does sound familiar," Said Ziva.

"It should be," Said Tony. "We investigated his son's murder a couple of months ago, the case went cold."

Ziva, Tim, and Gibbs noted, with concern, the faraway look on Tony's face, and wondered what could possibly cause it.

Tony still remembered the promise he had made to the marine, and desperately hoped he could keep it.

"Ziva, talk to the witness again, see if you can get something out of her. McGee, shoot and sketch. Tony, with me," said Gibbs, effectively bringing Tony back to the present.

"On it, boss."

"Yes, Gibbs."

"On your six, boss."

Tony followed Gibbs into the forest without a word.

"What's bothering you about this?" Gibbs asked, breaking the silence.

"Nothing!"

"DiNozzo…"

Tony sighed, "I promised him I'd find his son's killer."

"You shouldn't make promises you can't keep, Tony," Gibbs said quietly.

_Yeah,_ Tony thought_, but I intend to keep this one._

* * *

**_Hey everyone,_**

**_I hope you enjoyed this chapter._**

**_A special thanks to _****smush68_ for her continuous support of this story, AND for being my beta._**

**_I also want to thank _****mstictac, smush68, CALLEN37, Acacia118, Megth, AND Long Live BRUCAS_ for reviewing._**


	3. Wanting to forget

Chapter 3:"Wanting to forget"

* * *

Pain.

That was the first thing Tony was aware of, when he slowly blinked unconsciousness away. He tried to think about what had happened or where he was, but could not remember a thing. He sat up slowly, trying to keep the pain to a minimum. Tony looked around him and found that he was in his apartment and alone. He, very slowly, got to his feet and moved around his apartment, trying to determine if anything was missing. It took him approximately half an hour to check his apartment. Nothing was missing.

Tony slowly made his way back to his couch, and sat gingerly on it. The pain was easing, due to the painkillers he took (the ones that didn't mess with his head, and allowed him to think clearly). Tony tried to recall what happened after he got home the night before, and the only thing he got, was a shooting pain in his head. Tony then saw the time on the clock on the living room wall, and his eyes widened.

He was an hour late for work.

_Gibbs is gonna kill me_, Tony thought, grimacing.

He got to his feet hurriedly and, ignoring the nausea, grabbed his phone, which was on the table. Tony was out of the door in less than five minutes. On his way down, he called a cab; knowing that he shouldn't drive with a concussion and doubled vision.

Once he was in the cab, Tony decided to call Gibbs. He knew the older man would be concerned; and after fifteen missed calls, who wouldn't be?

He took a deep breath, and pressed the call button.

"DiNozzo! Where the hell are you?"

_WOW!_ Tony thought, _Gibbs answered right after the first ring, he must be worried_.

"DiNozzo!"

And _pissed_.

"I'm on my way, Gibbs! I promise. I'm just running a little late."Tony heard a quiet sigh of relief coming from the other end of the line, and felt a pang of sympathy for the other man; Gibbs must have thought he was in trouble.

"Just get your ass here, DiNozzo." Tony heard the relief in Gibbs' voice, and sighed.

"I'm sorry I worried you, Boss, I'll be there in ten."

And with that he hung up.

* * *

Gibbs was angry, and worried.

Everyone could see it. Tony was an hour late, and it was not like him to be. Sure, he had been late before but only by a minute or two, and if it was ever more than that, he always made sure to give them a heads up.

"Gibbs," Abby called gently, trying to get the older man to stop pacing. She was worried. She had been trying to reach Tony for the past hour but was not lucky.

"Rule Number Three," Gibbs growled, as he continued to pace.

"I'm sure he has a good explanation for being unreachable," Abby tried to reason with the older man. The others observed silently, since they were sure Gibbs wouldn't hurt Abby, they decided to let her do the talking, She was his favorite, after all.

"He better have one," Gibbs muttered angrily. The ringing of his phone caused all eyes to turn to him.

The small screen showed the name, "DiNozzo"

"DiNozzo! Where the hell are you?" When there was no answer, fear settled in Gibbs' gut.

"Dinozzo!"

"I'm on my way, Gibbs! I promise. I'm just running a little late." Gibbs heard Tony say.

Gibbs sighed in relief

"Just get your ass here, DiNozzo," Gibbs said gruffly, trying to hide the relief from his voice.

"I'm sorry I worried you, Boss, I'll be there in ten."

And with that, Tony disconnected the call.

Gibbs turned to the expectant faces of Abby, Ziva, McGee and Ducky.

"He's on his way here. Go do your jobs!"

* * *

"I can't remember a thing!" Tony said in frustration.

"Come on, Tony! Try," Tim urged gently.

"What the hell do you think I've been doing for the past damn hour, McGee?" Tony roared, slamming the table with his palm.

Tim was so startled by Tony's behavior that he dropped the pen he was holding. Tim was not used to seeing Tony this angry.

But Gibbs was. The team leader knew for a fact that Tony had a lot of suppressed anger, bubbling just below the surface, which is waiting to erupt. Gibbs also knew Tony wouldn't want to show that side of himself; the dark side, to his fellow agents, so he decided to do something about it.

"Ziva, McGee, go get coffee and get me updates on the Renner case." Gibbs ordered.

"But-"

"NOW!"

Gibbs watched his junior agents scramble out of the room in haste. When he was sure they were out of earshot, Gibbs allowed himself to check his agent visually. The younger man's shoulders were slumped, and his whole body was radiating with tension. Gibbs also noted, with concern, that there were bags under Tony's eyes, which means he didn't get much sleep.

"I checked with the landlord, about the CCTV footage, and apparently the cameras in the building are broken," stated Tony, bitterly.

Gibbs eyed the younger agent carefully, "you don't believe him."

"No, I don't." Tony said with a sigh.

"Any progress with the Renner case?" Tony asked quietly, changing the subject and causing Gibbs to stare at him.

"What?"

Tony rolled his eyes.

"The Renner case, any new leads?"

Gibbs glared and Tony smiled.

Gibbs knew that smile. It was the smile that meant his SFA was not going to budge. With a mental sigh, Gibbs started relaying their new findings, "McGee Spoke to Renner's CO and fellow marines. They all said the same about him; a good man and a good marine, but his behavior changed after his son died and his wife left him."

"Changed how?" asked Tony thoughtfully.

"He was withdrawn, secretive, and, according to his wife, obsessive about his son's case." Gibbs said. He watched as Tony closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Gibbs could practically see the cogs turning in Tony's head. Gibbs was silently glad his SFA was with him right now because, although McGee and Ziva are great investigators, no one can think outside of the box like Tony. Not even him.

"Did Abby start on the evidence from Renner's house?" Tony asked, frowning.

Gibbs could tell Tony was onto something, so he gave a single nod of the head, without speaking.

"I read something in his journal, about "getting closer to the bastards that did this". I didn't give it much thought at the time, cause I knew Abby or even Ducky would do better at analyzing it." He informed his leader.

"And?" Gibbs promoted.

"What was the only thing you thought about when Kelly was killed?" Tony asked quietly and gently; knowing it was a sensitive subject.

Gibbs closed his eyes, and swallowed. "Revenge."

"Exactly. He was looking for his son's killers, which means…"

"It's possible that whoever killed Paul Renner, had something to do with his son's death." Gibbs finished Tony's statement.

Tony nodded.

Gibbs gave Tony a small, proud smile that warmed the younger man's heart.

"You're going to Autopsy." Gibbs said, rising.

"Oh come on, Boss-" Tony started to complain.

"No buts, you're going to get checked out, you hear me?" Gibbs barked in his no-nonsense tone leaving no room for argument.

Unlike Tim and Ziva's reaction, Tony just rolled his eyes.

"Yes, Dad."

"Smartass,"Gibbs muttered with a smile

Gibbs opened the door and was about to get out of the conference room, when he heard Tony's softly spoken words.

"I remember now."

Gibbs closed the door, and slowly turned around, facing his wide-eyed and too pale agent.

"What do you remember, Tony?"

"It was my dad! Oh shit,it was my dad, Gibbs. He did this to me."

Gibbs could only stare.

* * *

_**i know this chapter is short but i am trying my best to give you at least something cause it's going to take me alot of time to update next.**_

_**I'm working on the update now, but i edited this because there were a lot of missing words.**_

_**A special thanks to **_**Smush86**_** for being my beta AND for reviewing.**_

_**Very big thanks to: **_**Megth- blarney-moira4eku-combatcrazy-Meilea2010-Laura Ann(Guest)-MissCallaLilly-candygirl28-Long Live BRUCAS-AgentD.6-angelscatie-Tacpebs**_** for reviewing the previous chapter.**_

_**Let me know what you think!**_


	4. Trouble

Chapter 4:"Trouble."

* * *

"You up for this?"

Tony stared blankly at the elevator door for a few minutes, then, with a glance in Gibbs' direction, answered.

"I'm fine, Gibbs. Why wouldn't I be?"

Gibbs felt his anger rise. He tried to control it, but wasn't having any luck. Tony had not said a word to him after the rather vague admission in the conference room. He had tried to get the younger man to elaborate on the statement, many times, but realized with dread, that Tony would not open up to him. It angered and frustrated him to no end, but he knew there wasn't much he could do about it.

Gibbs was used to seeing Tony like this; jaws set tight, tense muscles, defensive and expressionless. It happened whenever the younger man was hurt deeply by anything or anyone. He would be quiet for a little while; trying to assess whatever curveball life had thrown his way, then in a blink of an eye, Tony would be back to his usual joking self. On the outside, at least. It happened so often that Gibbs was a master at dealing with it. It was sad, and slightly disturbing; no one should have to go through so much pain in their lives. And no one should be able to cover it up so quickly and as efficiently as DiNozzo.

"How about the fact that your own father _hit you_?" Gibbs hissed.

_"Wouldn't be the first time,"_ Tony thought.

Gibbs didn't say anything for a few minutes because, frankly, he couldn't. He had had his suspicions about his agent's childhood. The scars on the man's back, the way he reacted to cases regarding neglected children, and the man's anger toward abusive fathers, all pointed towards a not so happy childhood. He had refrained from saying anything to the man because his past was just that; the past.

When Gibbs had first met Senior, he had wanted to give the man a taste of his own medicine. But Tony hadn't acted the way a typical victim of abuse should act when faced with their abuser. The fact that Tony had only been mildly uncomfortable with his father's presence and the eagerness to help his father, led Gibbs to believe that his gut had been wrong.

He should have known better than to dismiss his gut feeling.

Hearing Tony say those words was like a punch to the gut. Gibbs felt his blood boil. He could not understand how someone, anyone, could ever hurt a child, especially their own. He could not understand how abusive parents were able to live with themselves, when the thought of laying a hand on Kelly, or any child for that matter, made Gibbs sick.

"He's hit you before?" Gibbs found himself asking his agent, hoping against hope that what he had heard was a figment of his imagination.

Tony's eyes widened when he realized he had admitted to his father hitting him out loud, but his surprise quickly diminished and was replaced by skepticism. Gibbs couldn't have _not_known about it! The man knew everything.

"You can't tell me you didn't know," Tony said, somewhat incredulously.

Gibbs, by that point, was seeing red.

"Do you think the man would've gotten away with a few words, if I had known he _abused you_?" Gibbs hissed, jabbing a finger in Tony's chest.

"He didn't know what he was doing," Tony pointed out. "And before you start lecturing me about defending the man, let me explain, okay? He was a mean drunk. After my mom died, he started to drink more and act like I didn't exist. It hurt. I mean I was only eight, and I realized I had lost both my parents, not just one. He was barely home, but when he was… well, let's just say it either ended with me on the floor, bleeding, or him on the floor, in a pool of his own vomit. Most of the time it was the latter."

"Most of the time?" Gibbs asked.

Tony was surprised by the older man's appearance. Gibbs was looking a little pale, and his fists were clenched by his sides. The man looked like he was about to punch something or someone.

Tony _really_ hoped it was the former. He didn't think he could handle another head trauma.

"Yeah, like I said, he was a mean drunk."

"How?" Gibbs asked, through gritted teeth.

Tony was confused by the question. "How what?"

"Don't play dumb with me, DiNozzo, you know what I'm asking," Gibbs growled.

"No, actually, I don't. I- Oh," Tony said softly, as he realized what his boss was man wanted to know _how_ his father hit him.

"Gibbs, please, not now. Don't make me do this now," the younger man pleaded.

Gibbs closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. Opening his eyes and locking eyes with Tony, Gibbs nodded.

"Don't think this is over," Gibbs warned.

Tony sighed in relief when Gibbs restarted the elevator. He knew Gibbs was not used to letting things go. And the fact that he did, for him, made Tony's heart ache a little less.

Gibbs was about to leave the elevator, when Tony's hand on his arm stopped him.

"Thank you," Tony whispered, gratefully.

Gibbs looked him in the eye. "You're welcome."

* * *

"What's the verdict, Duck?"

Ducky sighed. "The young lad has a concussion."

"Well yeah, Duck. He hit his head and was out of it for half an hour. I figured he'd be concussed. Anything life threatening?" Gibbs snapped.

Ducky shook his head with a frown." I do not think so. But, I would like to be sure, so I recommended he get a CT scan."

Gibbs rolled his eyes. "And, of course, he said he was fine."

Ducky nodded. "He is in my office, resting."

Gibbs closed his eyes and breathed deeply, but nothing seemed to calm him down.

Ducky jumped when Gibbs suddenly punched one of the metal tables with an open palm. He sympathized with his old friend. He knew how strong Gibbs and Tony's bond is, having been there from the very start. He knew what happened with Tony had struck close to home with Gibbs.

Ducky was brought out of his musing by his friend's quiet voice.

"He didn't fall and hit his head, Duck."

Being a medical examiner, Ducky had already come to that conclusion, but chose to keep that fact to himself, knowing that when the time was right, Tony would come to him.

"It was his father, Duck. Can you believe that? The bastard hit his son, and didn't even bother to check on him! He just hit him and left. And this wasn't the first time, the bastard abused him when he was just a kid."

"My God!" exclaimed Ducky. "Are you sure, Jethro? That is a serious accusation."

Ducky tried to look and sound surprised but, judging by the look on Gibbs' face, failed miserably.

"You knew?" Gibbs asked, angrily. "Why the hell didn't you tell me?"

"Jethro! Calm down. I did not know for sure, I only suspected."

"Why the hell didn't he _tell me_?" Gibbs asked quietly, and Ducky was surprised to hear a hint of desperation in the ex-Marine's voice. "You think he doesn't trust me?"

Ducky's answer was immediate. "Heavens no! That boy trusts you with his life! You are the one he turns to whenever he is in need of guidance or help or just someone to _listen_. I believe that the reason he did not tell you before, in addition to his private nature, was his fear of disappointing you."

Gibbs did a double take at that. "Why would I be disappointed in him?"

"He is disappointed in himself for not fighting back. Not telling anyone. Not getting away from that man, so why wouldn't you be?"

"Because he did fight back! He fought back by getting away from that son of a bitch," Gibbs said with conviction.

Ducky smiled sadly, "You know that, and I know that but, unfortunately_, Anthony _doesn't."

Gibbs was silent for a while, digesting what was said to him. He knew Ducky was right. Tony is smart, one of the smartest people Gibbs has ever met but, sadly, when it comes to knowing his self-value, the man's IQ drops to a single digit.

Gibbs shook his head sadly, then, suddenly paled considerably.

Ducky, having noticed the sudden change, was beside the man in an instant.

"Are you alright, Jethro?"

"The head-slaps," Gibbs whispered. "Do you think he-"

"It's not the same, Boss."

Ducky and Gibbs both turned around and saw Tony, leaning on the doorframe with his arms folded across his solid chest.

"Anthony! You need to rest," said Ducky, kindly, as he escorted the agent toward the table next to Gibbs, and had him sit on it.

Ducky watched with fascination, as the two men seemed to have a conversation without using so much as a word.

Tony tapped Gibbs' arm and waited patiently for the man to look at him, and when Gibbs did, Tony gave him a pointed look.

_"You know I'm right."_

Gibbs glared.

_"Of course it is."_

Tony shook his head slightly.

_"Not the same."_

For a long time they just stared at each other, neither backing down. Then, very slowly, Gibbs nodded.

Tony squeezed Gibbs' arm ever so slightly, then hopped off the table and headed for the door.

"Where do you think you're going?"

" uuuh…Abby's lab?"

"Wrong answer."

Tony opened his mouth to argue, but when Gibbs glared at him, Tony knew he wasn't going anywhere. So, with a sigh, Tony shuffled back toward the table and sat.

"Happy?"

Gibbs smirked, "Very."

"Now what?"

"We are going to the hospital for the CT scan, and then you're going to tell us what happened with your dad."

"Boss-"

"No."

"But I-"

"No."

"Fine," said Tony with a pout.

"Boss?"

All eyes turned toward McGee, who was standing by the door.

"Yeah McGee?"

"We got a lead. Forest rangers found a gun near our crime scene; it could be our murder weapon."

"Good. You and Ziva get it."

McGee cleared his throat. "Actually, Boss, I think it'd be better if you went with Ziva and I stayed here."

Gibbs raised an eyebrow. "And why is that, McGee?"

Tim laughed nervously. "Two reasons."

"Well?" Gibbs asked, impatiently.

"Oh…Abby and I are working on the evidence from Renner's case."

"And?"

"Ziva is in one of her 'moods'."

Gibbs glared at Tim. "Meaning?"

Tony decided to come to Tim's rescue. "She'll probably find a _very_ creative way to kill whoever gets on her bad side. Then we'd have to clean up the mess, destroy all the evidence and take care of the eye witnesses, and-"

"Shut up, DiNozzo," snapped Gibbs.

"Shutting up, boss."

"Fine. Duck, can you go with him?"

Ducky smiled apologetically, "I am afraid I cannot. Agent Dawson's team caught a case and contacted me before you and Anthony came here. I must prepare for it."

"Where's Palmer?" asked Gibbs.

"Mr. Palmer took the day off. Apparently his mother in law wanted to-" Ducky stopped at the look Gibbs gave him.

"McGee! You're taking Tony to the hospital."

"Boss, no!" said Tony firmly. "He needs to work on the case. I'll go by myself."

"Tony-"

"I'll be a very good boy and go get a CT. Then I'll report to you."

"Fine. Go!"

* * *

Tony's head was killing him. But the physical pain was nothing compared to the emotional. He had down-played the whole thing to Gibbs. A lot. He couldn't remember much of the actual conversation, but he did remember one thing.

His father had confessed to a murder. A _Marine's_ murder. And he had expected Tony to help him.

Tony was very uncomfortable with not telling Gibbs, but did not know how to tell the older man. How was he supposed to explain something to Gibbs, if he himself was unable to comprehend it?

Tony was about to dial the number of the cab service, when he felt a stirring in his gut. His gut would not, by any means, rival Gibbs', but he had learned over the years to never ignore it. Tony thought about it for a moment, then sat at his desk and opened a new word document.

When, thirty minutes later, Tony was satisfied with his choice, he called a cab.

"Where to?" the cab driver asked.

"Bethesda Hospital, wake me up when we get there, will ya? " said Tony, only half-joking, as he reclined his head back and closed his eyes.

"Sure thing, Mr. DiNozzo ."

Tony was so lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice the man's use of his name, Nor did he notice the evil smile on the drivers' face.

* * *

"What do we have?" asked Gibbs, as he entered the Lab.

"We found nothing on the Sargent's computer, _except__, _this," Abby said with a huge smile adorning her face, as she pointed to the screen filled with numbers and letters.

"What is it?"

"An encrypted file. I'm working on it right now. I've managed to decrypt some of the contents, but what I did get was useless. Hopefully, it'll make sense when the whole file is decrypted."

"What about the murder weapon?"

"I lifted a print off a bullet; I'm running it through AFIS."

"Good job."

Gibbs tried to the stirring in his gut but, he found himself unable to. With an annoyed sigh, he dialed Tony's phone.

Voicemail.

_Shit_. Tony always answers his phone, especially if the caller is Gibbs.

Something is wrong.

"Abby, trace Tony's phone," Gibbs ordered.

"Tony's? Why? What's wrong-?"

"Just do it."

"Is something wrong, boss?" Tim asked worriedly, as he came to stand beside Abby.

"That can't be right," muttered Abby.

"What is it?" asked Gibbs, a sense of dread settling in his gut.

"It's in an alley, two blocks from here."

Tim's eyes widened, while Gibbs cursed under his breath.

"What does that mean, Gibbs? Did he lose it? Or maybe throw it away?" asked Abby, tearfully.

"Could be."

"What does your gut tell you, Boss?" Tim asked quietly.

"Tony's in trouble."

Silence filled the lab, only to be broken by Abby's quiet sobs.

* * *

_**Hi everyone! Happy New Year. I know it's late, but this is the best I can do.**_

_**I am finally free! I aced my tests (thank god!) and the house is almost finished.**_

_**Please review, just to let me know someone out there is reading.**_

_**Special thanks to the amazing smush68, who is my beta.**_

_**I would also like to thank:**_**moira4eku****, 10pandasrule10, CALLEN37, moonlightnight1, AgentD.6, DS2010, angelscatie, keembur, Meilea2010, combatcrazy, Long Live BRUCAS , lonelyheartlc, tansysam and ****Tacpebs**_** for reviewing.**_

_**As for **_**Moonlight1234**_**, I'm sorry the first chapters didn't make sense to you, I really am. And if you decide to continue reading, I'm more than happy to answer your questions.**_


	5. Second Time's A Charm

Chapter 5:"Second Time's A Charm."

* * *

"Father?"

Carlisle Wolf looked up from the file he was reading and smiled when he saw his son, Jeremy, standing in the doorway.

"Come in, son," Carlisle said with a smile. He watched his son take a seat then watched his son fidget in his seat; a sure sign of nervousness. "What is it, son?" asked the older man, upon seeing that his son was not going to talk without a little push.

"Father, I… umm… I made a mistake. A big one."

Carlisle sighed, "How big?"

"It could send us to jail."

Carlisle's eyes widened as he leaned forward. "What did you do?" he growled.

"I… well…I didn't mean to…." Jeremy stuttered, afraid of what his father might do to him.

"Answer me," shouted Carlisle.

Jeremy took a deep breath and complied. "After Anthony told us about the murder and you kicked him out, I decided to keep tabs on him, just to be safe. For two days, he did nothing but rent a motel room, just outside of DC, and stay in it. Then at 2 am, on the third day, he went to see his son."

"I can't see why this would cause us trouble."

Jeremy grimaced. "He didn't stay long, only two hours, and when he left the man looked like he was about to faint. I came to the conclusion that he was going to tell his son but backed out and didn't tell him. But nonetheless I thought it never hurt to be sure, right?" Jeremy laughed nervously, then cleared his throat and continued." Well, after some digging, I found out that his son works for NCIS. I thought that if he found out, he could get us in some serious trouble, so I put a tap on their phones."

Carlisle nodded approvingly, although his son's speech was hurried and barely made any sense, the older man was able to understand the basics. Anthony Senior had a son who works for NCIS, the old man went to tell his son, but failed to do so, and Jeremy had had someone listen in on the men's phone to make sue no future meetings would be held. So far so good.

"Continue."

Jeremy loosened his tie and wiped the sweat that gathered on his forehead. "The next day, I heard a conversation between the son and his boss, and something sounded off. So I had him… uh…" Jeremy trailed off, unsure of how to tell his father.

"What?" Carlisle asked, impatient.

"Kidnapped. I had some of my men kidnap him."

Carlisle's mouth hung open in shock. Then, once he regained his composure, glared at his son.

"Kill him, dispose of him immediately!"

"But father-"

"Do as I say, boy, or you will face some-"

"He escaped!"

"…"

"And he took my man into custody."

* * *

The car suddenly stopped. The cab driver turned in his seat to speak to Tony .

"Oh man! Can I borrow your phone, sir? Please? My wife is pregnant and I forgot to check up on her today. I would use my phone but the damn battery is dead and-"

Tony held up a hand to stop the rambling. His headache was getting worse by the minute and the driver's high-pitched voice was doing nothing to ease the pain. Tony got his phone out and wearily gave it to the man.

Tony felt something was off. As he listened to the man's conversation with his 'wife', Tony looked around him and realized with a frown that they were in an almost deserted area. Tony knew for sure that there was no way this road could lead to Bethesda.

A small movement caught Tony's eye and he saw the driver pull out a pen from the glove box. What he saw made his heart beat so fast, he thought it was going to explode.

_Not again_, Tony thought_._

Eyes wide and mouth suddenly dry; Tony stealthily and hurriedly grabbed the gun that was strapped to his ankle. He kept his eyes trained on the driver who was holding the pen, which, once the cap was removed, looked like a needle, like a weapon. Just as the man was about to jab the needle in his thigh, Tony skillfully caught the hand of his assailant and twisted his whole arm, causing the man to scream.

"Drive." When the man didn't immediately follow the command, Tony twisted his arm harder. "I said Drive."

"Watch the road." Tony hissed in the man's ear, when he lost control of the car, as he jabbed his gun in the man's side.

The driver, trembling with fear and pain, could only nod. Tony almost shot the man when he threw the phone out of the window.

"Turn around and drive back to the NCIS headquarters," Tony commanded, gritting his teeth. "You know that was an iPhone 4S, right? It was a gift, from a friend," Tony commented as he kept a firm, almost painful hold of the man's arm.

"My arm… I can't…"

"Suck it up. If you want to stay alive, I suggest you do as I tell you. Got it?"

Tony smiled in satisfaction when he saw the man nodding frantically. He leaned back in the seat, making sure to keep the gun on pressed in the man's back.

"You know, man, this reminds me of a movie…"

* * *

"McGee, Ziva and I will go to the scene. You keep working on that decryption. Oh, and contact the cab service, DiNozzo probably called one. "

Gibbs caught Tim's eye and nodded his head toward Abby, who was still clutching his shirt in a vice-like grip. Tim nodded back. Tim watched Gibbs storm out of the lab, with a sigh.

"Abs? We'll find him, we always do."

Abby shook her head, and tried to stop the tear flow, but was unable to. "What if we don't find him in time? We don't even have suspects, Tim. This is a mess, a big mess. We can't lose him, Tim; he's our rock. Do you have any idea what it'll be like without himph-"

Tim slowly removed his finger from Abby's lips and gripped her shoulders gently. "I know what it'll be like without him and believe me, I don't want a repeat of that." Tim winced at the memory of the time Tony had taken Time off. Gibbs had been unbearable and, if anyone had forgotten what the second B in his name was for, he had made sure to remind them in that week. His boss had spent the week growling and smacking heads (his and Ziva's) so hard that it was a surprise their heads were still attached. The LEOs they had encountered had been impossible to work with. And who wouldn't be, after being growled at and threatened with severe bodily harm? So yeah, all in all it was not something he wanted to happen again.

Abby let out a small laugh. "Yeah…He really is our rock, you know?" she said quietly. She knew that most people would think Gibbs was their rock, but they were wrong. Gibbs was the force that gave them just that extra push to better themselves; he was what made them function like a well-oiled machine. Tony, on the other hand, was the rock; stable and dependable. He was the one they all counted on to give them what they needed, be it an encouraging smile, a glare, a head-slap, a hug, or a laugh. Tony was their rock and she hoped to God they wouldn't lose him. She knew the team may not survive that loss. Especially Gibbs.

"I know," Tim said with a nod. "Look, Abby, we're talking about Tony here, I mean come on! The guy's like a cat; he has nine lives. He's gonna be okay. He'll hold on till we find him."

Abby smiled sadly and hugged her boyfriend. "He better. Thanks for being here, Tim."

Tim smiled sadly, and hugged Abby tighter.

* * *

Tony managed, by some miracle, to get the cab driver, whose name was Ron, into the building without incident. Once inside the building, Tony asked Leo, one of the guards, to get Gibbs into interrogation Room 1 ASAP.

Tony opened the door of the interrogation room and, after roughly throwing Ron in a chair, left the room.

Closing the door behind him, and ignoring the shouting coming from the room, Tony slowly sat on the floor with his knees drawn to his chest and his head on his knees.

"That's a fine mess you've got yourself into, Anthony," Tony muttered, shaking his head to clear his jumbled thoughts. His headache was slowly developing into a migraine and he was confused as hell and angry. His memories were still not fully back and he knew he was missing an important piece of information.

"What the hell is going on?" he wondered, aloud.

"That's a good question, DiNozzo. Mind filling us in?"

Tony nearly jumped out of his skin at the unexpected voice. He struggled into a standing position and smiled brightly at Gibbs, who glared at him.

Tony dropped the smile and took a deep breath. "I've got someone I want you to meet," Tony said, jerking his head in the direction of the interrogation room.

Gibbs didn't say anything, just turned around and entered the observation room, knowing his agent would follow him.

"What the hell happened? And why is your phone dumped into a damn alley?"

Tony frowned. He had seen Ron throw it out of the window and into the street, so why would it be in an alley? This was just getting weirder by the minute.

"Long or short version?" Tony asked with fake cheerfulness. At Gibbs' glare Tony straightened, "I really screwed up, boss."

Gibbs frowned. He didn't like where this was headed. He was so tempted to order Tony to just spit it out, but decided to wait and let Tony gather his thoughts.

"I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings. I actually fell asleep in a damn cab, I didn't meant to, I just wanted to rest my eyes, and the next thing I know I'm waking up because the guy's stopped the car and asked for my phone to call his wife. I stupidly gave him the phone. If I hadn't been watching him, if I had just turned my head a little bit to the left, I would've missed it." Tony said, shaking his head at his stupidity. He had messed up big time and frankly, he wouldn't blame Gibbs if the man decided to just give up on him and fire his ass.

"Missed what?" Gibbs asked, unaware of the thoughts that were running in his agent's head. "Tony? Hey, DiNozzo! Front and center," Gibbs raised his voice.

Tony's head shot up and his eyes met Gibbs'. To his relief, there was no disappointment or pity or anger in the older agent's eyes, just concern and maybe a little frustration.

"What did you miss?" asked Gibbs, his voice almost gentle.

"A needle. The bastard almost kidnapped me, Gibbs, and I almost let that happen. I'm a federal agent for God's sake, I should've been more aware of my surroundings, should've known something wasn't right about the man. I'm not sure I'm good enough for the job anymore, I mean if I can't- Oww! What the hell was that for?" Tony asked as he rubbed the back of his head.

Tony suddenly found his personal space invaded by a very angry Marine, who jabbed his chest with a finger.

"Don't ever let me hear you say that again, you got it? I've said it once and I'm saying it again; you are irreplaceable. You didn't screw up, Tony. You got yourself out of a very dangerous situation and without endangering the life of any one else. And more importantly, you're here, alive," Said Gibbs, the relief of seeing Tony alive and well was plain as day, in his words and on his face.

"You are the best agent I have ever worked with, you got that?"

Tony nodded mutely, and Gibbs almost laughed at the look of pure shock and pleasure on his agent's face.

"I'm gonna get McGee to check him out, you got a name?" asked Gibbs.

"Ron Black. And I want to be in the room when you interrogate him."

Gibbs nodded, surprising Tony for the second time, and left the observation room. However he still heard Tony's muttered:_"I think I hit my head a lot harder than I thought."_

* * *

"… How could you wait so long to tell me, huh? I was worried sick all the time, thinking you were kidnapped and was being maimed by some psychotic serial killer. And you know what's even worse? I couldn't even drink one caf-pow! I had even started on checking that ridiculously long list of enemies of yours, which reminds me….. "

Gibbs tried not to laugh at the deer- in-the-highlights expression on his SFA's face. As soon as they had closed the door of the interrogation room, they had been ambushed by a frantic Abby, who had hugged and then punched Tony. That had been ten minutes ago. How could she talk, without taking a single breath, for seven minutes, was a mystery? Gibbs looked at the Goth, and was alarmed to see that her face was as red as a tomato.

"Abs, breathe."

She took a deep breath, and Gibbs was relieved to see her color return to normal. His relief, however, was short lived, when Abby turned to him and glared at him. Gibbs almost took a step back.

"Don't think you're off the hook, mister…"

_I should've kept my mouth shut,_ thought Gibbs.

* * *

Gibbs looked at the man in the passenger seat and sighed. It had been a long day and Tony deserved some rest, which was why Gibbs had been driving around in circles for the last hour or so.

Gibbs decided to use the quiet time to think about the information they managed to uncover in the day's work. Interrogating Black hadn't been nearly as satisfying as Gibbs hoped it would be. The man had taken one look at Gibbs' angry scowl and had spilled the beans. Apparently, a man named Jeremy Wolf had ordered Ron to keep tabs on DiNozzo and take him whenever he saw an opening. And since he was an actual cab driver, he had seen an opening. When asked about the reason for Wolf's order, the answer had been a tearful 'I don't know' with a sniffle. The guy was pathetic, and Gibbs couldn't understand how anyone would rely on him to kidnap a Federal Agent.

Gibbs was also starting to think that Tony was keeping something from him. All day long, his partner had been acting weirdly. Tony would sometimes look at him with mixture of anxiety, guilt and fear. He was not sure what would cause the younger man to feel like that, but he was determined to find out. Gibbs was frustrated by Tony's refusal to talk about what had happened with his father.

"I'm sorry."

Gibbs frowned. Turning toward the now wide awake Tony, Gibbs asked, "What for?"

"My refusing to tell you anything about what happened with my father. You just have to understand that I still don't remember everything that happened, and what I do remember is …not something I want to share. Not until I'm sure it's true."

Gibbs could feel his heart racing. "Bad?"

Tony sighed heavily. "Pretty bad," he admitted.

"Tony, if you're in any kind of danger, I need to know what it is that you remember," Gibbs said, almost pleading.

Tony shook his head. "I'm sorry. I can't tell you, not right now."

"Tony-"

"Just drop it, Gibbs." When Tony looked at Gibbs and saw the man swallow hard and grip the steering wheel with a vice grip, He sighed. "I'll be okay, I promise."

Gibbs shook his head. "You came this close to being kidnapped today. You're hiding something from me, something bad that I can't do anything about, and you're telling me that everything will be okay?" Gibbs asked, gritting his teeth, as he pulled the car to a stop in front of Tony's building.

Tony's face softened. "I didn't say everything will be okay. I said _I_ will be."

Gibbs glared at the younger man and wasn't surprised when the younger man held his gaze and smiled softly. "You won't always be okay."

"Why not? I always am."

Gibbs looked at the man beside him, and without meaning to, smiled proudly. Tony was one of the strongest men he had met. Having an alcoholic for a mother and an abusive bastard for a father was just the tip of the iceberg. When he had been eight, Tony lost his mother. When he had been twelve, He was disowned and sent to military school. When he had been eighteen, he had lost the love of his life. When He had been twenty two, Tony lost his dream of playing basketball. And sadly the heartbreak and pain doesn't stop there. Gibbs marveled at the strength the man had, and feared that Tony was edging close to his breaking point. Gibbs knew that everyone had a breaking point, and he hoped that whatever it that senior was involved in, wouldn't the straw that broke the camel's back.

"I'm gonna check the perimeter and then get back to the HQ, you go to your apartment, lock the door and don't let anybody in." When Tony rolled his eyes, Gibbs hit the back of his head. "I mean it, Tony. And keep a gun close."

Tony unbuckled his seat belt and put a hand on his chest. "Do you not know me at all?"

Gibbs rolled his eyes as Tony continued, "I always have a gun at my disposal."

"Go."

…..

Tony had just finished his shower, when he heard movement in the living room. With a muttered curse, he took the gun that was hidden under the bathroom sink, clicked the safety and opened the door soundlessly. Tony slipped out of the bathroom without making a sound and, with his gun raised, entered the living room.

Sara let out a small scream while Abby raised her hands in the air, looking at him with wide eyes.

"Jesus, guys, I could've shot you," Tony said, annoyed. "Do you not know how to knock?"

Abby laughed nervously. "We did, but when you didn't answer, I decided to use my key."

Tony rolled his eyes and went back to the bathroom, hiding the gun under the sink. He then joined the ladies in the kitchen.

* * *

Abby and Sara were in the kitchen, each one sitting on a stool, arguing about who would be the one to tell Tony about Gibbs' orders.

"You're his best friend, you tell him."

Abby smirked. "Well, you're his girlfriend, so you should tell him."

Sara blushed, and then shook her head, trying to focus. "Maybe I could say that we're here to check up on him?" Sara suggested.

"So, is there a reason you two decided to break into my apartment at," Tony looked at his watch, "ten p.m.?"

They both jumped, and then glared at Tony.

Sara nervously licked her lips and cleared her throat. "Well… we need to talk about-"

A beeping sound was heard, cutting Sara off.

"Oooh that's my PDA. My babies found something!" she said excitedly, jumping off the stool and rushing to find her purse.

Tony turned to Sara.

"So… What do we need to talk about?"

* * *

Abby happily opened her purse, eager for some good news to give to Gibbs. Three minutes later, having read the results, Abby, who could talk someone's ears off, could only find one word that would fit the situation.

"Shit," she whispered.

"Abs, everything okay?"

"We need to talk."

Tony raised his hands. "I know, Sara told me. According to Gibbs, I am to stay with you and Sara at all times, since, apparently, you're supposed to be babysitting me. Which is more than a little insulting and really confusing, considering Sara almost had a heart attack and you lost your ability to speak, When I-"

"Tony! We need to talk," Abby repeated loudly. Abby looked at Sara apologetically, "alone."

Sara smiled slightly, unsure of what to make of the situation.

Once Sara left, Tony turned to Abby. "You mind telling me what the hell's goin' on?"

Abby took out a small device of her purse and handed it to Tony. "That's a new, temporary phone. It has the same number. I don't think-"

"Abby! What is going on?"

She took a deep breath. "I got a hit on the prints, the ones that were found on the gun that was used to kill Paul Renner."

Tony's eyes lit up, while Abby's filled with tears.

"Who is it?"

Abby's answer knocked the breath out of him.

* * *

Tony took a deep breath, trying to calm his breathing. He was sitting on the steps of his apartment building, trying to make sense of the mess that was his life. He rubbed his head in frustration, trying to remember something helpful.

Suddenly his father's panicked face floated in Tony's memory, and everything that happened that night came back to him.

_"Junior, I need your help! Please, you have to understand that I had to kill him, he was a threat to me and everything I was building for you."_

_"I'm working for Carlisle Wolf."_

_"I was supposed to tie up the loose ends, like that Marine I killed."_

_"I was supposed to get rid of this," his father held up a gun, "because it had the prints of Carlisle's son on it."_

_Wearing a pair of gloves and putting the gun his father showed him in an evidence bag, then hiding it in a locked box under his bed._

_Getting hit over the head with a vase by his father, after suggesting going to Gibbs with the information._

The sound of a loud bang, followed by a feminine scream caused Tony to get up and run in the building. Since the elevator was out of service, Tony had no choice but to use the stairs. Twelve flights of stairs. On his way up, Tony pulled out his cell and called Gibbs, knowing he had to tell the man everything, just in case he was captured or dead before someone came.

When he got voicemail, he decided to leave a message, but not in English. He wasn't going to take any chances.

" Je pense que quelqu'un est dans mon appartement, Gibbs. J'ai besoin de renfort. Il ya une arme dans un sac de preuves dans une boîte sous mon lit, l'obtenir. Je suis désolé, boss," he said fluently, in French.( I think someone is in my apartment, Gibbs. I need backup. There is a gun in an evidence bag in a box under my bed, get it. I'm sorry, boss.) He wanted to give more information, but he knew the team would be able to figure it out.

Tony eased the door to Sara's apartment open, raising his gun and cautiously entering the unusually dark apartment. Just as he was about to flip the light switch on, a gun was shoved in his back.

"Drop the weapon, now," the gruff voice whispered.

Tony, who almost never did as he was told, ignored the man's command and instead elbowed the man in the chest and, in a fluid motion, managed to turn on the light then disarm the man.

Tony trained his gun on the man's head. "Who are you?" When the man smirked, Tony cocked the gun. "I'm gonna kill you, if you don't answer me, right now."

The man laughed, and pointed to something behind Tony.

Tony turned around and felt his heart stop beating for a moment. Sara was on the floor, a gash on her head was bleeding heavily and Abby was being dragged out of a room by a man, who had a hand on her mouth and had a gun in the other.

_Shit._

* * *

**_Hey everyone! I am so So sorry for the delay. But in my defense, RL has been a b***h, not to mention school just begun and i have to prepare for it AND this chapter is extra long. *smiles sweetly*_**

**_I'm not sure about the French, I used Google. You'll find out what Tony said, in the next chapter._**

**_A big, gigantic Thank you to the amazing _****Smush68_, who is the beta and the reason why this story doesn't look like one big grammar error. LOL._**

**_I would also like to thank all the amazing people who reviewed Chapter 4 :_**** keembur, Tacpebs, Smooth Doggie, Long Live BRUCAS, pottyandweezlbe89, DS2010, SiriusBlackFan2, Megth, tansysam, Meilea2010, 10pandasrule10, joyoce (guest), Scat210, julie250, angelscatie_, and the two anonymous reviewers._**

**_Please let me know what you think? Reviews make me Reeeeeealy Happy._**


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